Area WWII veterans tell their stories

In 1943, when Margaret Kies of Cape Girardeau, then a student nurse reserve at the Red Cross, volunteered for overseas duty during World War II, she and her colleagues were shipped out immediately without knowing where they were headed, she said.

Kies decided to enlist in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps because her parents, both European immigrants who came to America through Ellis Island, instilled in her such a strong sense of American pride.

"When the war came along, I decided that it was my opportunity to give something back to America," Kies said.

Kies' story of the 28 months she spent in the South Pacific caring for those severely wounded in WWII battles is one of the many tales told by those who lived them in "WSIU Remembers World War II," an outreach project by WSIU TV chronicling oral histories from area veterans.

Kies will share her story on WSIU radio Wednesday, and Lawrence Breeze, a retired Southeast Missouri State University history professor, will be featured on the WSIU television series "WSIU InFocus," Wednesday talking about his experiences as an anti-tank gunner in the infamous Battle of the Bulge.

Margaret Kies with wounded and sick soldiers ready for evacuation to the States. 12th Station Hospital, Townsville, Australia, July 20, 1943. Photo: Margaret Matvy Kies.

The idea for the project arose from seeing broadcasting stations across the nation launch similar projects with World War II veterans from their region, said WSIU outreach coordinator Vickie Davenport.

Once the project was in motion, Davenport began speaking to veterans organizations and encouraging them to participate and share their wealth of experiences.

The response was overwhelming, particularly from children and family members of veterans who had stories they wanted to share, said Davenport.

She spoke with a family who had all three sons overseas at the same time, she said.

A graduate of the historic preservation program at Southeast Missouri State University, Davenport contacted program director and professor Dr. Steven Hoffman to see about collaborating with the outreach project.

Lawrence Breeze (left) and his parents, Clara and Dan Breeze, during Lawrence's first furlough. October 1943. Photo: Lawrence Breeze.

"I was certainly pleased to be engaged in the program," said Hoffman, who incorporated the project into his curriculum for the historic preservation course he teaches.

Each year, Hoffman guides students in setting up interviews, talking with local people of historic interest, and then transcribing the interviews, as part of the course on preserving oral history.

Last semester, students interviewed people responsible for enacting and maintaining area landmarks. Among others, they interviewed Janet Jackson for her connections to the Red House and Tim Blattner with the Wall of Fame.

Now, after a few weeks of learning how to transcribe an interview, conduct research and do a biographical sketch on their subject, Hoffman's students are ready to tackle the project.

"It's an excellent opportunity for my students to see they're part of something real," said Hoffman.

1st Lt. Margaret Matvy Kies, U.S. Army Nurses Corp - Australia, New Guinea and Philippines. 1945. Photo: Margaret Matvy Kies.

Kies signed up to participate in the project after a Memorial Day Service at the Osage Community Centre, along with another Cape Girardeau resident, Mae Holt, who served as an Army nurse at the 373rd Station Hospital in Guam.

Interviewing Kies made Davenport realize how crucial a role women played in the war effort, she said.

Kies said she had difficulty finding the right words to describe her experiences serving as a nurse in Townsville, Australia, and Hollandia, New Guinea.

"You just want to remember just how you felt," said Kies, who had been recovering from surgery when Davenport taped the interview. Kies feared her voice sounded "so shaky."

Kies served 13 months in Townsville, Australia, at the 12th Station Hospital, where she remembers the freezing nights sleeping on cots because there weren't enough blankets to go around, before getting on a hospital ship bound for New Guinea.

Margaret Kies with wounded and sick soldiers ready for evacuation to the States. 12th Station Hospital, Townsville, Australia, July 20, 1943. Photo: Margaret Matvy Kies.

When she arrived in Africa in 1944, the hospital where she would care for patients was just a concrete slab because the 27th General Hospital hadn't been built yet.

Kies remembers how thrilled the troops were to see her and the other nurses, hoping they brought news from home and might have friends in common.

Kies served in Manila, Philippines, before returning to the St. Louis City Hospital in 1945. Needing time to adjust after having "lived a different kind of life," Kies said she took to traveling around the country before settling in Cape Girardeau and working as an obstetrics and later OR nurse at Saint Francis Medical Center.

Being part of the war effort was a great adventure, and throughout it all she looked to the American flag for strength, Kies said.

"Aside from the cross, the American flag is the most important symbol in my life," she said.

Lawrence Breeze (left) and his parents, Clara and Dan Breeze, during Lawrence's first furlough. October 1943. Photo: Lawrence Breeze.

Sharing her story for "WSIU Remembers World War II" inspired Kies to continue working on the memoirs she has been writing for her family.

Though talking about her experiences helped, she thinks better when she writes, she said.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

573-335-6611, extension 245